Apteka jest po lewej.

The pharmacy is on the left.

Breakdown of Apteka jest po lewej.

• być: to be
• apteka: the pharmacy
• po lewej: on the left

Questions & Answers about Apteka jest po lewej.

What case is lewej in po lewej, and why?

lewej is the feminine singular locative form of the adjective lewy (“left”). In Polish, the preposition po—when used to indicate a static location along a surface or side—governs the locative case. Hence po lewej literally means “on the left (side).”

Why do we use po lewej instead of z lewej to say “on the left”?

po + locative expresses a fixed position “on/at” that side. By contrast, z + genitive (e.g. z lewej) normally means “from the left,” implying movement away from that side or “coming from the left,” not simply the location of something.

Can I drop jest and say Apteka po lewej instead of Apteka jest po lewej?

Yes. In casual spoken Polish, the copula jest (“is”) is often omitted, so Apteka po lewej is perfectly understandable as “the pharmacy is on the left.” Including jest makes the sentence more standard or formal.

Could I say na lewo rather than po lewej?

na lewo is an adverbial phrase used mainly with verbs of motion or instruction: e.g. skręć na lewo (“turn to the left”). For stating where something stands, po lewej (or the fuller po lewej stronie) is the usual choice.